Cotton-chopper



(No maal.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

D. BALSHAW.- COTTON GHQPPER.

No. 472.975. Patented Apr. 19, 1892.

(No Model.) l 2cSheets-Sheet 2.

D. BALSHAW. GOTATON GHUPPER.

' No. 472,975. Patented Apr. 19, 1892.

I @y im; Awww,

v f f UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

DAVID BALSHAV, OF NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS.

COTTON-SHOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 472,975, dated April 19, 1892. Application filed September 16, 1891l Serial No. 405,907. (No model.)

To all whoml t may concern/r Be it known that I, DAVID BALsHAw, acitizen of the United States, residing at Nacogdoches, in-the county of Nacogdoches and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Cotton-Chopper, of which the following is a specification. u

This invention relatesto improvements in vcotton-choppers; and the objects in view are to provide a cheap and simple machine adapted to chop or hoe cotton and simultaneously plow or hill the same; furthermore, to adapt the chopper to form stands composed of any number of plants and at any distance apart, and, finally, to provide means f or raising and lowering the plows out of and into operative position and throwing the chopping mechanism into and out of gear, which means are controlled in a convenient manner by the driver or operator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring toV the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cotton-chopper constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken in front of and looking toward the plows. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, the front bar of the framework being removed. Fig. 4 is a plan. Fig. 5 is a detail iirperspective of a portion of the l o inv-wheel..

clLIille itiumerals of reference indicate like parts in all the gures. I

In practicing myinvention I employ .a rectangular frame-work, the same consisting of the opposite longitudinal side bars 1, the front bar 2, and rear bar 3, the latter two bars serving to connect the ends of the side bars. In rear of' the front bar 2 the side bars are also connected by a cross-bar 4, located a short distance from the bar 2, and near their centers said side bars are connected by a transverse bar 5. Bearings 6, formed in the side bars 1 between the bars 4 and 5, accommodate a rotatable shaft 7, the ends of which extend beyond the frame-work and receive the ground-wheels 8, which serve to support the front end of the machine. V The axle of shaft 7 also carries a master-gear 9, designed to rotate therewith. Bearings 10 are formed at the centers of the cross-bar 5 and the rear cross-bar 3, and in the rear bearings there is somewhat-loosely pivoted a longitudinallydisposed chopping-shaft 11, while the front end of said shaft is mounted in the frontbearing 10. The front end of the shaftll projects beyond its bearing and has mounted thereon a gear-wheel12, which is engaged and driven by the master-gear 9 of the axle 7. The shaft 11 is preferably rectangular in cross-section and has fitted thereon a circular head or disk 13, from which radiates a series of arms 14--in this instance four-provided near their extremities with adjusting-perforations 15.

16 designates a series of substantially l,.- shaped choppers or hoes, the Shanks of which are bent, as at 17, to embrace the radiating arms 14, and are perforated for the accommodation of adjusting-bolts 16, which pass through the same and the perforations of the arms, whereby said hoes or choppers may beadj usted upon the arms and thus adapted for cutting at different points of the plants.

A platform 17 t surinounts the bars 2 and 4 and is provided with openings 1S and 19. Between the bars the side bars 1 have their upper edges recessed at 20. A lever or. bar 21 is pivoted at 22 to the under side of the bar 4 and has pivoted to its front end at 23 a vertical hand-lever 24, which extends upwardly through the opening 19 of the platform. This hand-lever 24'is within easy grasp of the driver when mounted upon the seat 25 and is provided with a suitable pawl 26 for engaging and locking with a toothed lockin g-sector 27, whereby the hand-lever may be locked in any of its various adjustments. The cross-bar 5 has its ends tenoned or reduced at 28, and said reduced ends are mounted loosely iii mortises or openings 29, formed in the side bars 1, whereby said cross-bar is adapted for movement longitudinal with relation to itself or transverse with relation to the frame-work. Such movement is effected through the medium of the rod or lever 2l, which is pivoted at 30 to the under side of the cross-bar 5. By a propermauipulation of the hand-lever 24 the bar 5 may be reciprocated, 'as described, and by reason of the fact that the shaft 11 is loosely connected and journaled at itsrear end said shaft may be laterally swung, so that IOO ' field of operation.

its gear 12 may be thrown into and withdrawn from operative connection with the mastergear 9 of the axle 7. By such arrangement the machine is especially adapted for rough ground, whereby the cutters may beinstantly stopped to pass over obstructions and may also be readily transported to and from the In bearings 3l, formed in the side bars 1, near the rear ends of the same, are mounted loosely the reduced ends of a transverse plow-beam 32, which plowbeam is provided upon its front face with a series of gains or recesses 33, each of which has a perforation or bolt-opening 34.

35 designates plow-standards, which removablyufit in the gains and are provided each with a series of perfor-ations 36, adapted to receive an adj Listing-bolt by which said standards may be secured'in any of the gains and at an'y desired elevation, and thus adapt-ed for any depth of penetration. rlwo such l standards are employed, one at each side of the center of the machine, and therefore of the pathl of the cutters or choppers, and each standard terminates in a shovel or plow38. A bar transversely-disposed and indicated by 39 has its opposite ends mounted for sliding in longitudinal slots or ways 40, formed in the `side bars 1, and from the bar to the standards, near the lower ends of the latter, pass connecting-chains 41, so that as the bar is slid in the ways the shovels or plows, together with their standards, are raised and lowered from and to the ground. A cross-bar 42,11aving its opposite ends reduced, is mounted for sliding in the recesses 2O of the side'bars 1, and rods 43 extend rearwardly from the rod 42 and connect with the reciprocating bar 39, so that any movement of any part of the rod or bar 42 is communicated to the bar 39 and serves to raise or lower the plows or shovels.v

44 designates a foot-lever, which extends upwardly through the platform above the opening 1S therein, and said lever is fulcrumed at its lower end upon the cross-bar 2, as indicated at 45,and is loosely connected between lits ends to the reciprocating bar 41, whereby by manipulating the lever 44 the aforesaid movements of the bars 41 and 39 take place.

It will be seen that amachine thus constructed will effectually and rapidly thin or chop cotton, forming stands of any desired number of plants, and that simultaneous with the same said stands will be hilled or plowed. It will also be seen that the entire machine is under perfect control of the driver or operator,who may raise or lower the plows into and out of operation and throw the chopping mechanism into and out of operation without the necessity of leaving his seat- Having described my invention, what I claim is In a cotton-chopper, the combination, with the oblong frame-work having bearings'in its opposite sides, the transverse plow beam vloosely mounted in the bearings, and the depending plow-standards connected with the beam and terminating in shovels, of a transverse reciprocating bar having its ends mounted in ways formed in the side bars, chains conneeting the bar with the standards, a forward l reciprocating transverse bar mounted in ways in the side rbars, rods connecting the two bars, and a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and connected loosely with said front transverse bar, substantially as specied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAvID BALsHAw.y

Witnesses:

ALLAN SEALE, B. M. HATOHELL. 

